Misunderstood Secrets
by Aero-Dragon's-Sky
Summary: Things don't always go as planned. Sometimes it’s best just to say it, and not to take it back. Even when you’re scared they might not like it, it might be exactly what they long for. BobbyXSpader.
1. Sweet Vacation

So starts another Spader/Bobby fic. That's boy with boy love, so if you're against it or don't like it, you probably won't like this fic much. Be warned, but do enjoy if you choose to read.

This takes place after the battle for Halla (but, um, was written before book 10 came out). But, some spoilers for book 9.

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**Chapter 1: Sweet Vacation**

Bobby sighed happily, propping his head up with his arm. Mark, Courtney, and him were all visiting Spader on Cloral. Spader had been perfectly right; the three from Second Earth really did need a vacation. Not a vacation to a nasty cloudy watered/dirty/polluted beach either. They needed a vacation to Spader's daily life—paradise.

Bobby opened his eyes and smiled as Spader sat himself on the tabletop, smiling brightly. "Are you mates okay? You really do look beat."

Bobby, Mark, and Courtney all nodded. "Trust me, Cloral has helped a ton and we've only been here a few hours," Bobby replied. Spader gave Bobby a confused look at the term "hours," but he decided to brush it off. He nodded and looked curiously across the tavern. Spader had learned to stop asking the small questions, it had taken a ton of training from Bobby, but he'd learned.

Spader stood up, walked away, and Courtney laughed. "He can't stay still very long, can he?"

Bobby smiled. "You two know Spader, of course he can't. He probably feels left out of the action not being the center of attention at the front bar."

Spader came back soon enough, much to Bobby's dismay carrying four mugs of sniggers. Bobby immediately stood up to help, but got Spader's foot pressed to his stomach, gently coaxing him to sit back down. "Relax mate, I'm not going to drop them," he laughed softly, "I can balance twice as much."

"You make me nervous when you carry breakable objects," Bobby groaned softly, thankfully taking a mug of sniggers.

Spader stuck his tongue out at Bobby and Bobby quickly adverted his eyes, blushing slightly.

"Spader, is Cloral doing good after everything was sorted out?" Mark asked curiously.

Spader gave a quick nod. "Yes, my home is much better now that I can finally be here to protect it." Courtney and Mark sunk down in their seats nervously and Spader quickly held up his hands, "Mates, I don't blame you. I was needed on Eelong. It was just the way it was meant to be. Did it ever occur to you how the flume only collapsed on Eelong—not Cloral or Second Earth when you used them? Gunny and I were meant to be there."

Courtney looked at Spader nervously. "I've been feeling so guilty about getting you stuck there. I would have thought you hated me. I'm really sorry, Spader."

"That's all the credit I get?" Spader scoffed, "I'm actually a little insulted. Why would I hate you? I've only hated a few people my entire life, and you're not one of them."

Courtney blushed, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, Spader; I know you're really sweet and you'd never hate anyone, but I just, what I did to you was awful-"

"Save it," Spader chuckled softly, "I've heard it enough."

"What did Saint Dane even do to Cloral?" Mark asked curiously.

Spader swallowed hard and lowered his eyes. "Saint Dane wasn't completely wrong; the balance here is very gentle. Faar was an amazing discovery, but it also ended up being a main part of his plan. The Faarians are very… uh, cocky? No, not cocky, very… they have a superiority complex. He used them to turn against Cloral. He also split aquaneers and vators apart by making the aquaneers feel superior. Everyone else usually took the vators or aquaneers side. So there were basically three groups… The Faarians had the biggest heads, but they aren't really dangerous in anyway. When the vators split up, well, who grew the food? That started a war, and who are the ones with the weapons?"

Bobby immediately reached out, gently taking Spader's hand. The aquaneers were the ones that handled the weapons on Cloral. The Cloran Traveler smiled weakly to show Bobby that he okay, but his smile didn't last long. Spader was quick wiping away small tears. "My own mates… it was… the others were helpless… it was a massacre," he whispered softly.

Mark and Courtney both lowered their eyes and Spader stood up, leaving. "Bobby, is he okay?" Courtney asked softly.

Bobby nodded. "It's really hard on him that his territory unfolded that way. But, technically it never happened after we managed to set the territories back in time. He's the only one who knows that it did happen in another time. Oh, and Yenza. He actually didn't know it was happening at first, because Yenza refused to let him know. He was stuck on Eelong, so she decided it was pointless to have him hysterical over Cloral."

All of them were silent for a while. When it started to get late, the tavern started to empty, and Spader still hadn't returned, they decided to head back to his place. "Bobby, I feel awful. We're getting a vacation but we've already put Spader in tears."

Bobby sighed and smiled, "Please, Spader loves having us around. I'm sure he even had plans to be a showoff and make us an amazing dinner. Things just unfolded a bit weird. Let's not bring up anything to do with Saint Dane, okay?"

Mark and Courtney both nodded. When they reached Spader's home, Bobby knocked softly. When he didn't get an answer, he walked inside the dark apartment and quickly flipped the light on. "He even cleaned. Unbelievable."

Courtney and Mark were a bit more timid when entering, but Bobby didn't seem to care. He walked across the main room and toward Spader's bedroom. He knocked again and entered without waiting for a reply. He flicked the lights on and walked toward the open window. "Spader, can I join you?" he called up toward the roof curiously.

"Of course, Pendragon," came Spader's quick reply.

Bobby shakily pulled himself onto the windowsill and even more shakily onto the roof. He took in a sharp and very thankful breath when he managed to pull himself up without falling. "Thank Halla I've got taller, or I was doomed for sure," he sighed.

Spader was laughing softly and he smiled. "You've been up here with me before Pendragon."

"Yeah, with your help. Anyway, you okay? I mean, besides the fact that I'm taller then you."

"And you're stronger after Loor kicked you into shape, but I can still get on a roof and you can very barely. I wonder what Loor would have thought," Spader teased.

Bobby rolled his eyes and gave the aquaneer a shove. Spader laughed playfully and smiled. "But, I'm fine. Just a little lost in thought."

Bobby smiled. "That's why you're up here?"

Spader nodded. "I'm always up here when I want to think." Spader's stomach suddenly growled and he looked up at Bobby in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Have you eaten at all? Mark, Courtney, and I ate before we left."

Spader nervously adverted his eyes. "I kind of forgot. I had a piece of fruit this morning before I left for work, though," he offered.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "It's late, but you should really eat at least something."

Spader gave a nod and he sighed softly, letting his eyes fall closed. "Don't you love the night air, Pendragon?" Bobby smiled and nodded when Spader's eyes suddenly fluttered open. "Do you want to go on a walk?" he asked curiously.

Bobby's thoughts turned toward Mark and Courtney but he decided they could survive a few minutes. "Sure."

Spader smiled and stood up before walking toward the edge of the roof and jumping off. It was only one floor high, so Bobby quickly followed suit. "It's always really warm in the day, it's almost surprising how chilly it gets at night," Bobby explained as Spader led him down the deserted streets.

"The seasons are getting cooler, but I kind of like it. It's nice having a cool breeze washing over you and making you shiver." He sighed happily, letting his eyes fall closed.

Bobby blushed; Spader looked rather appealing in the silver moonlight, his long black hair like the curtain of midnight. Spader's eyes open again and he smiled tenderly. "Tomorrow there's supposed to be a big storm in the north. It might reach the habitat, but not with enough force to do any damage. I'm going to leave early and help secure things in the docks, but once I'm done I want to take you with me. I'm going storm riding with a bunch of my mates. I'd prefer if the 3 of you wouldn't get in the water, but it really is fun to watch—you'll be safe on the boat. Would you like to come?"

Bobby tilted his head curiously. "What's storm riding? It's dangerous? Are you going to be in the water?"

"Well, of course! It's dangerous if you've not practiced enough, hence why I don't want you, Mark, or Courtney doing it. As for what it is, guess. You'll find out tomorrow."

"Spader, I don't want you to get hurt," Bobby replied softly.

Spader froze slightly in mid step and looked back at Bobby, a light blush hinting his cheeks. He gave a quick thanks to the heavens above that his skin was too dark to see the blush, and spoke nervously, "It's okay Pendragon, I've done this about 12 times and I've never been hurt before."

Bobby nodded and sighed, looking up at the moon. He'd learned it was the Cloran's primary source of telling time even though they did have clocks/watches. When it was daytime, they usually went by the sun. "I guess if you're leaving early in the morning, then I should let you get some sleep," he explained.

Spader smiled tenderly, "I don't mind spending more time with you."

Bobby blushed and lowered his eyes. "Nor do I with you, but Mark and Courtney are probably freaking out."

Spader sighed softly and had to nod in agreement, so they started to head back to Spader's place. Bobby was surprised by how far they'd traveled.

"I kind of forgot Courtney was a girl," Spader suddenly spoke up, sounding a little upset. "I should have asked Yenza if Courtney could spend the night at her place." Bobby looked at Spader curiously and the aquaneer explained. "She's going to get my room and you, Mark, and me are going to end up sleeping in the living room. I'm the host, so I should take the floor, but…" he sighed softly, "I really don't want to be stiff tomorrow and I'm really going to miss my bed…"

Bobby smiled. "Is it too late to throw Courtney at Yenza's place?"

"Eh, not really. It's kind of mean to dump that on Yenza now though. She's probably already asleep."

Bobby shrugged. "We'll tick Courtney off and make her feel like she's weak so she'll sleep on the floor to prove she isn't. I can have the couch, you can have your bed, and I guess Mark cold share the couch bed with me."

Spader smiled, "The couches don't turn into beds on Cloral like they do on Earth."

"Oh…"

"You could sleep with me," Spader offered softly, sounding relatively embarrassed.

Bobby blushed and both of them lowered their eyes. They both arrived at Spader's apartment and Bobby's blush deepened. Mark was on the couch and Courtney has curled up on the floor, unbelievable.

Spader slipped off his shoes and removed the belt around his waist as he stepped into his room. He came out a few seconds later with some pillows and blankets. Bobby smiled as Spader gently draped a blanket over each Mark and Courtney and then gently somehow managed to slip a pillow under both their heads without waking either of them.

He looked up at Bobby, but nervously lowered his gaze, walking back toward his room. Bobby blushed and even more nervously followed. Spader slipped off his shirt, but left his pants on. Bobby removed his shoes, belt, shirt, and his pants. "It's not like we've never slept in the same room in just our underwear before," Bobby offered.

Spader smiled and slipped his pants off, starting to close the door. He quickly hesitated though. "Um, would you feel more comfortable with it open?"

Bobby shrugged, gulping slightly, "Go ahead and close it, Courtney doesn't need to see us in our underwear."

Spader nodded and clicked the door closed, crawling into his bed. Bobby nervously followed suit and was surprised just how comfortable Spader's bed was. He was about to comment but Spader turned the light off on his nightstand and the room went pitch dark besides the moonlight.

"Night," Spader whispered softly.

"Night," Bobby returned, surprising himself just how easily he fell asleep.

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	2. Taking Care

Pretty long chapter, I think the longest. I feel like I messed time up. It seems like everyone is moving at light speed, but they really aren't. I put a lot of time elements in to help you tell how much time passes between the events. Super sorry if you get confused. Over all, this chapter takes place from early morning to noon if that helps.

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**Chapter 2: Taking Care**

Bobby's eyes slowly opened and he just barely managed to stifle a gasp. He was in Spader's bed, and the aquaneer was across the room from him, a towel around his waist. He'd obviously just gotten out of the shower. He collected a few things from the closet and laid them out on the chair in front of his desk.

Bobby tried to advert his eyes when Spader shed the towel around his waist, but he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away. Spader quickly dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his shoulders as he started to dress. Bobby swallowed hard, hating when Spader tugged some shorts on, then some pants, covering his body. Spader slipped a belt on and ran the towel through his hair, giving it its wavy look. He then slipped a shirt that surprised Bobby. It was black, long sleeved, and had a bright green stripe pattern that made an X across the aquaneer's stomach, and back. The two X's meet at Spader's side and he had thin X patterns going down his arms. The collar of the shirt was also really high up, completely covering Spader's neck. It didn't look bad though, in fact, Bobby though it looked pretty good.

"You're awake, aren't you, Pendragon?" Spader asked softly.

Bobby snapped his eyes closed, trying to pretend to sleep. "It's okay, I don't care," Spader whispered softly, although he sounded extremely embarrassed. "You should get some sleep, you can take a shower if you want, too. I'll be back in a few pecks."

"See you soon," Bobby spoke up quickly as Spader started toward the door.

Spader hesitated by the door and smiled, then nodded in reply as he left his room.

Bobby lowered his eyes, blushing furiously at seeing Spader's body in the dim light. He'd seen Spader undressed a few times, but why had this time… appealed to him so much? Bobby sighed softly, nuzzling into a pillow. It had Spader's sweet scent, and Bobby quickly jerked away. Why did Spader have to be everywhere? Bobby lay back down reluctantly. He did love Spader's scent, but he didn't know why. Maybe because he felt so comforted by the aquaneer?

He nuzzled back into the pillow. He was supposed to be on a vacation, he was supposed to be enjoying it. He let his eyes fall closed and he took a deep breath of Spader's scent. He'd figure out why he was feeling so attracted to the aquaneer later.

Bobby actually managed to fall back asleep, which wasn't saying much because Spader's bed was so warm and comfortable. Then Mark woke him up. "Mark? What are you doing here?" Bobby yawned, sitting up. He felt slightly agitated though, he'd only managed to get one more hour of sleep.

"Courtney woke me up and we didn't know where you were. I was going to wake Spader up, but he's not here. You are. Where's Spader and why are you in his bed?" Mark asked in confusion.

Bobby smiled, enjoying Mark's confusion for a moment. Mark wasn't confused very often unless the subject was girls or sports. "Spader left for work early so he can take you, Courtney, and me storm riding. Don't ask me what that is; because I have no idea, but it's suppose to be fun."

"Bobby?" Courtney asked curiously as she entered Spader's room. "Okay, we know why Spader's not here, but why are you in his bed?" She smiled when Bobby turned bright red.

"It's not what you're thinking. Spader and I have shared a room tons of times. Mark was on the couch and you were on the floor. He didn't want me stuck on the floor as well, so he offered to let me sleep with him. So I agreed. That's it," Bobby cried frantically.

"Then where did the two of you vanish off to last night?" she asked curiously. She was enjoying seeing Bobby freak out. She was just playing with him and knew Bobby wasn't gay, but she did enjoy seeing him freak out.

"I—we took a walk. We were just talking, uh, about the seasons and about today."

"They were making out," Courtney laughed, "and of course that led to Spader's bed."

"Courtney!" Bobby cried frantically, his face burning with blush.

"Relax, we know you're not gay. I'm just teasing you," she soothed. "I'm going to take a shower, I guess." She walked away and Mark looked at Bobby nervously.

"It kind of feels strange being in Spader's home without him here," he offered nervously. "Was Spader okay? Are you okay, Bobby? You're really red…"

Bobby anxiously rubbed his cheeks, trying to get his blush to go away. "He was fine. He was just thinking—that's why he was up on the roof. We went on a walk and just talked about normal things."

"What about you?" Mark asked, confused why Bobby hadn't answered.

Bobby looked up at Mark nervously. "Mark, you're like my best friend, can I talk to you about something?"

"_Like_?" Mark asked in confusion, "I thought I _was_ you're best friend."

"You are, I just mean, can I ask you about something? As in, please don't tell Courtney, at all? Not a peep? It's really bothering me."

"Why can't Courtney know?" Mark asked in confusion. He pretty much told Courtney everything.

"If she found out at all she'd probably humiliate me for the rest of my life…"

Mark immediately jerked upwards, "Did you and Spader really-!?"

"No!" Bobby snapped angrily. He squeezed his eyes close, rubbing his temples. "Never mind, Mark!"

"Bobby, I swear I won't tell Courtney. What's wrong? We're supposed to be on vacation, if something's bothering you and I can help," Mark said quickly.

"Look, it's nothing. Can I get some more sleep?"

"Sure, if you want to sleep on the couch-"

"I'm fine here," Bobby replied flatly.

Mark nodded and nervously left Spader's room, leaving Bobby alone. Bobby squeezed his eyes closed. He wasn't going to be able to fall asleep again. He sat up and pulled his pants on, walking over toward Spader's cluttered desk. He couldn't help but to be a bit curiously. He flipped though a few of Spader's notebooks, glancing over mapped out courses, and coordinates. Spader even had a few well drawn drawings in one notebook. He was surprised by one notebook though; it was full to the brim with pictures—a photo album. Bobby flipped through the photos curiously. He knew they had cameras on Cloral but they were different then Earth cameras. They took photos that washed away completely at just the slightest contact with water, so you took the pictures and immediately sealed them into water tight slips. Over all, they still used the refraction of light like the cameras on Second Earth did.

He looked the pictures over and his eyes widened in surprise. There was a picture of a much younger Spader, Spader's father, and a beautiful woman. Bobby had never actually seen Spader's mother, but he quickly guessed she was the woman in the picture, considering Spader's resemblance to her. He looked more like his mother than his father. Her hair was the same shade as Spader's, but she had a single dramatic grey streak that looked almost natural. Her almond eyes looked extremely kind and Bobby smiled, continuing to look at the rest of the pictures. More then half of them were of black clad aquaneers doing crazy things; Spader seemed the center of attention in them almost all the time. Bobby's eyes settled on another picture and he was surprised when absolutely jealously ripped through him. It was two young teens, smiling nervously as they held each other in a tender embrace. One of them was Spader, the other a girl Bobby suddenly hated. He flipped the page immediately, his anger settling and a smile playing across his lips. There were several pictures of Spader with his mother or father.

Bobby quickly closed the book when he heard the door open. Spader peeked in curiously and smiled, "Hey, Pendragon. Mark said you were asleep- Oh, were you going through my stuff?" His voice was playful, then a look of sudden horror crossed his mischievous eyes.

"I-I was just, I saw some pictures and I got curious. I'm sorry," Bobby stammered nervously.

Spader quickly flew across the room, snatching the book of pictures from the desk. He opened one of the desk's drawers and quickly stashed the book, closing the drawer securely. "Those…" he whispered softly, "Those are the only pictures of my parents I have. They all vanished when I found out I was a Traveler, but I got them back after we put Saint Dane in his place. I'm sorry, I just… They're gone and I want to keep everything I have of them safe…"

Bobby gave a quick nod. "It's okay, I totally understand. I'm sorry for messing with them. It was really rude of me to go through your things. I saw you're mom. She looked really kind. She looked a lot like you."

Spader smiled and nodded, "She was. I love her a lot. She usually ended up talking me out of trouble when I ended up in it. I don't think she ever got mad at me even once in my life. Just a disapproving look from her was enough to make me feel awful for weeks."

"We can leave now it you want," Spader offered.

"I never got to take a shower," Bobby replied nervously.

Spader nodded. "Okay, Courtney just got out I think. You can go ahead and I'll make all of us some breakfast." As if on cue Spader's stomach growled and he flinched. "Okay, I admit it, I'm absolutely starving. It hurts I'm so hungry," he said nervously.

Bobby sighed. "I said to eat something last night."

"I forgot!" he cried.

They both left Spader's room laughing and Bobby slipped into the bathroom after finding out Mark wasn't going to take a shower. Spader went to the kitchen, trying to remember the type of food he'd eaten on Second Earth and find something similar that Bobby, Mark, Courtney would like.

He sighed in defeat and poked his head into the living room where Mark and Courtney were. "Are both of you okay with fish?"

Both shrugged and nodded. Spader smiled thankfully, slipping back into the kitchen. "Want a hand?" Courtney offered, walking into the kitchen to see what Spader was up to.

He looked up from the fruit he was carefully washing under the tap and smiled. "No, I'm perfectly fine. This is supposed to be a vacation for you guys. Go away." he winked and grabbed a cutting board and knife. Courtney watched curiously as Spader skillfully cut the fruit up into small pieces and put the pieces into a huge bowl.

"Wow, lots of fruit salad," she laughed.

Spader smiled and nodded, "We're not going to eat all of this. At least, I hope not. I was going to put the rest away and let you mates eat it whenever you want. I really don't cook in the morning usually. So you can have something to eat if I'm at work or sleeping," Spader explained. He sighed happily, "Sleeping in sounds nice right now…"

Courtney smiled and decided to leave Spader alone so she wouldn't get in his way or distract him. She'd already been distracting him for the past few minutes. "What's he making?" Mark asked curiously.

"Fruit salad and something else. Did you know Cloral has bread? I think he was toasting it. Except, it's in a round shape.

Both the Acolytes smiled when they heard the rhythmical sound of a knife on a cutting board. "He sounds knife happy."

"He is."

Courtney and Mark both perked up when Bobby stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed. "Breakfast ready?" he asked curiously, sitting with his acolytes. They shook their heads and Bobby sighed, relaxing on Spader's couch. "I'm going to go see what he's up to."

Bobby stood up and walked into the kitchen, deciding he wanted to sneak up on Spader. He almost surprised himself when he was about to throw his arms around the aquaneer's waist.

"Hobey-ho, Pendragon," Spader chimed happily. He scared Bobby half to death, but the lead Traveler quickly recovered.

"What are you making for us?" Bobby asked curiously.

"There's mixed fruit and some toast and fish spread," Spader offered. Then he smiled at the look on Bobby's face. "Trust me, it tastes great."

"You've never let me down before, so I'll go with it," Bobby replied nervously.

Spader sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Okay, I try to make probably the most common and the least interesting morning dish off the face of Cloral. Just try it, alright?" he asked curiously.

"Of course I'll try it. I've eaten gloid, you're cooking is a whole lot better then that!"

"Stop talking about my cooking like it's bad!" Spader cried, sounding a little upset.

Bobby smiled, "Okay, okay. You're cooking is great, but that looks a little… different?"

Spader sighed softly and shook his head, snatching up a piece of toast and putting some of the fish spread across it. "Try it," he urged softly.

Bobby's eyes widened in surprise, but only because Spader's face was so close to his. The aquaneer could move fast! He swallowed nervously as he felt Spader's hand on his shoulder. The aquaneer was smiling slightly, holding the toast about an inch from Bobby's lips. Bobby groaned mentally, but took a small bite. Much to his surprise, it tasted amazing. He looked at Spader with wide eyes and the aquaneer looked at him in confusion. "You don't like it? I thought I made it right…"

Bobby swallowed quickly before promptly correcting the Cloran, "Spader, it tastes amazing!"

Spader smiled and gave a small nod. "Great, let's lay everything out then. I'm starving…"

The two quickly laid out plates and the food, bringing silverware and glasses to the table as well. Bobby quickly helped himself, and Spader seemed to be waiting for everyone to get food before him. Courtney and Mark were a bit more cautious, but they seemed to decide to at least give the food a try considering how much Bobby seemed to like it.

"When are we leaving anyway?" Bobby asked curiously, swallowing some fruit.

Spader threw a glance to a clock and then toward the window, looking out at the cloudy sky. "About a peck. I have all my stuff together already, so there's no hurry."

"At least tell me what storm riding is now," Bobby urged.

Spader paused in mid-bite and sighed. "Later. You haven't even guessed yet."

"Does it involve a speeder or skimmer going extremely fast?" Mark asked.

Spader shook his head and swallowed, "That's suicidal in this type of water. You'd flip for sure. We're not going to be traveling fast when we approach our picked riding spot."

"Any animals involved?" Courtney offered, "wild fish?"

Spader laughed softly, "No, but I wouldn't say you're too far off."

"Riding… waves? Storm waves?" Bobby asked tentatively.

Spader beamed and nodded. "Yep, and today is going to be great."

"Riding them with what?" Bobby cried in surprise.

"Boards. What else?"

"That's dangerous! It's like surfing to extremes! Spader, if you fall or even if you don't fall, you could get hurt," Bobby continued, the upset tone clear in his voice.

"Pendragon, don't worry. I've got everything I need and I know what to do. It's only dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. That's why you're staying in the boat," Spader teased.

Bobby sighed in slight defeat and the four of them finished eating. Bobby helped Spader put the leftovers away and they started on their way to the docks. Silently Bobby hoped that Spader would be okay and not get hurt.

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	3. Beautiful

Thanks for adding this story to so many favorite lists! I love that people are enjoying the story! I'll try and keep it up! Enjoy.

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**Chapter 3: Beautiful**

Bobby watched Spader curiously. The boat they were on was pretty big, considering that there weren't too many aquaneers aboard. Only about 10, two of them driving.

"What are those?" Bobby asked curiously. Spader had rolled up one of his pants legs and was putting a weird anklet sort-of-thing on.

"It's a brace. I have to put them on all the main breakable areas. It's so that if I hit the water wrong or get into a dangerous current, then there will be less chance of the area getting broken. See?"

He finished putting the brace on and unrolled his pants. Then he offered Bobby his ankle. Bobby blushed, but curiously tried bending Spader's ankle. It bent like an ankle normally would, but if he tried to coax it to bend anymore he felt the brace prevent him. "Wow."

Spader smiled and put another brace on his other ankle. He put one on each of his wrists and one around his neck. "I was wondering why you had on such a high collared shirt," Bobby explained.

Spader smiled, "I think having the braces showing is weird. Most of the others probably don't care to cover up the braces though. Some of them don't even bother wearing them."

Bobby folding his arms, "Well, you have to. If you don't, I'm not letting you in the water."

Spader smiled. "You sound like my parents."

"Good."

Spader stood up and made his way topside, Bobby on his heels. "Wow, the ocean is pretty scary," Courtney stated as Bobby and Spader joined her.

"This is great, look how beautiful those waves are!" one of the aquaneer chuckled, clasping Spader on the shoulder.

"Bet you I'll get better waves than you," Spader laughed.

"You're on."

"Bobby, wish me luck!" Spader cried happily. "If you want to watch from underwater, go below deck. There are some windows."

Spader dashed off excitedly with several of the other aquaneers. They all adorned air globes and grabbed their boards. Spader's board was silver and black, painted beautifully with a design. The aquaneer who'd been driving the boat was just starting to lower the anchor by the time all of the rides had dove into the water.

"I think it's about to rain," Mark offered.

"We're on Cloral, Mark. They don't care if it rains, they're always wet anyway. Uh, that sounded wrong. They're just surrounded by ocean, so…" Courtney explained nervously.

Bobby smiled and leaned over the rail, watching Spader curiously. "Hobey-ho, Spader!"

Spader slipped under the water with the other riders. Bobby watched curiously, wondering what they were up to. Much to his surprise, as a wave started to raise, three Clorans were riding it, shooting down the face of the wave on their boards.

Others had surfaced and were actually paddling like real surfers, letting the waves lift them up.

"Where's Spader?" Courtney asked, scanning the raging ocean.

"It's hard to keep up with any of them, there are waves everywhere," Mark added.

"He's… oh! There he is!"

The three from Second Earth sighed in dismay. Spader was atop the biggest and meanest looking wave, and he was riding it like a pro. He got cocky as well, striking a pose. "He always has to show off," Courtney laughed, cheering Spader on.

Spader rode the wave out as it collapsed and he vanished below the surface once again. "Let's see what they're doing below the water," Bobby urged.

The three quickly slipped below deck, gathering around a thick glass window that gave them a full view of the ocean. "Oh, wow! It's like they're surfing underwater!" Courtney gasped.

The Clorans were. They were catching underwater riptides and currents. They were using their boards like underwater sails, getting towed through the water until they found a right current. When they did, they'd ride it up and vanish above the surface.

They jumped when a fist knocked against the glass. Spader beamed at them through the window, waving playfully at them before getting ripped away by a current.

"Wow, they're amazing," Courtney commented.

"They really are graceful in the water," Mark agreed.

"Spader's beautiful," Bobby breathed softly. Mark and Courtney looked at him in surprise and Bobby gasped. _"I said that out loud!?"_ he screamed to himself. "I—I mean… he's… well, he's really elegant and he keeps getting the biggest waves, I err…" Bobby stammered nervously.

Courtney and Mark shared a knowing look, but turned their attention back to the aquaneers. The aquaneers spent a few hours in the water, but then the storm died down and the waves faded away to just choppy and ruff sea. Spader got out of the water. He was one of the last ones out, but there were still a few in the water.

He seemed a tad shaky, like many of the others that had gotten out of the water. He was resting, absolutely exhausted after spending several pecks swimming against currents and kicking like mad as to not get too swept away from the boat. He was also starving, which was what had driven him out of the water just as much as the lack of waves had. He and Bobby were talking as Spader removed his braces.

"They're totally flirting," Courtney commented to Mark.

"Courtney, they're both guys and I think they're both straight…" Mark answered. Bobby flirting with a boy? No way.

"They slept in Spader's bed together, they went off on a walk alone, and Bobby said Spader was beautiful. They've been stuck to each other like glue."

"That doesn't mean anything. Bobby wrote in his journals about him and Spader going on a walk or two together in the moonlight… He slept with Spader because I was on the couch, and he said Spader was beautiful as in elegant, not hot…" Mark argued.

Mark flinched. What had Bobby wanted to tell him this morning? Why had Bobby been acting so nervous? "Bobby would tell us if he was gay, wouldn't he?" Courteny asked curiously.

"No," Mark sighed, "He'd probably be too scared that you'd make fun of him. Also, he's not gay. He's straight, but maybe just for Spader…" He didn't want to admit it, but it seemed so obvious. Mark looked up at his best friend reluctantly and couldn't help but to smile. Bobby looked so happy with Spader.

"So, are we going to hook them up or just get Bobby to admit his feeling or what?" Courtney asked.

Mark sent another look toward Bobby and Spader. "Both. He's our best friend, how could he not let him be with Spader if he loves him?"

"What about Spader though, does he like Bobby back? He is a bit of a flirt…"

"I'm not sure," Mark admitted.

"We'll talk to Spader first?" Courtney offered.

"Well, I will. You work on Bobby. Make him feel more comfortable about admitting he likes Spader to you," Mark replied.

Both of them nodded.

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	4. Sorry

I think I'll update every 5 days. Enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Sorry**

Spader flinched slightly and gasped as his friend yanked him into his arms. "I'm sorry," Spader groaned softly. He winced in pain when he was accidentally jostled as his friend jumped off the boat.

"Can you walk?" The larger aquaneer asked, looking Spader over with a smile.

Bobby was so anxious. He hated seeing the older aquaneer hold Spader. "I can carry him," he suddenly spoke up.

Spader flinched slightly and blushed, "I can walk, mates. It's okay."

Mark gulped. "You don't look like it, Spader. Let Bobby carry you," he offered. He wanted Bobby to be happy, to have Spader if that's what the Lead Traveler wanted.

Courtney looked at Mark and smiled, giving him a congratulating nudge.

Spader's fiery, independent, and determined spirit got in the way. "I can walk, mates!" he snapped. "I just couldn't get up, or off the boat. Put me down!"

The older aquaneer reluctantly and gently placed Spader on his feet. Spader flinched in pain, his muscles aching and protesting at being used. They hurt so _badly_. The aquaneer refused to admit it though. _"I have to look strong for Pendragon. I don't want to have to make him carry me…"_

"Try not to die before you get home," the older aquaneer offered. Spader gave a quick nod, thanking his friend before his friend left.

"Spader, you look like a really good athlete, how come your legs are so sore?" Courtney asked.

"I was in the water for so many pecks and I was kicking against such strong currents for so long I kind of met my limit about 2 pecks before I got out the water."

Spader gasped softly in pain, feeling his legs buckle. His muscles were screaming in agony. He sunk weakly to the ground, a cry of pain escaping his lips. He felt arms wrap around him, pulling him close.

"You okay? Spader?" a worried voice asked.

The aquaneer flinched, the fatigue finally taking its toll. His head was swimming as he struggled to collect his thoughts, trying to answer the voice. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink and the bad effects were kicking in. He refused to black out and fought through the fog, looking up into hazel eyes. "Pendragon, I'm okay," he said shakily.

Bobby frowned and picked the aquaneer up. "Let's get him back to his place. I'll heal him there. I wouldn't be smart to heal him in the middle of plain sight," Bobby explained.

Mark and Courtney shared a look. "Spader's fine," Bobby reassured them.

Spader nodded in agreement, letting himself rest on Bobby's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Pendragon…"

"You should be!" Bobby snapped. The lead Traveler flinched at the wide eyed look both Mark and Courtney gave him. He looked down at Spader, finding the same shocked look on Spader's face. The shock faded to hurt and Bobby quickly explained, "I'm worried sick about you. You should have known you were exhausted and you should have stopped. Now you can't even walk and you have everyone worried."

Spader adverted his gaze, feeling useless. He bit his bottom lip, desperate to suddenly become better. He didn't want to look weak in front of Pendragon… He felt a stinging sensation in his eyes and he struggled to stop tears from appearing, only ending up making himself more upset.

"Sp-Spader!" Bobby gasped as a soft as a barely audible sob escaped Spader's lips. He hadn't heard it as much as he'd just… felt it. It was obvious Spader had tried to hide it. "Are you in pain? What's wrong? Spader?" Bobby asked frantically.

"I'm sorry, Pendragon," Spader explained shakily, working to keep his emotions in check. "I'm always messing up…"

Mark and Courtney shared an anxious look. They were almost to Spader's apartment, in fact, they were entering the building. Mark opened the door and Bobby stepped in, gently laying Spader in the couch. "Spader, it's okay," Bobby urged. Spader looked up with doubtful eyes. "What's gotten into you? Normally you'd just brush it off."

Spader flinched. "I don't want to—" he cut himself off. _"I don't want to look so useless to you…"_

Bobby waited, expectantly, and when no answer came, he sighed. "You're not going to tell?" Spader shook his head and Bobby smiled. "Stubborn."

Spader couldn't help it, he smiled back. "You know me," he offered softly.

"Want me to heal you?"

"Yes please, mate," Spader laughed nervously. Bobby smiled and reached out, laying two hands on Spader's chest. Spader shivered at the touch and mentally snapped at himself not to get any ideas. Still, the hands felt good and he relaxed.

Mark and Courtney watched curiously.

Bobby relaxed as well and a soft glow grew between the two Travelers. It faded quickly and both of them were left panting. Spader looked up, his eyes catching Bobby's lips. He shivered, wanting them so badly. He resisted though.

Bobby nervously pulled his hands away and Spader sat up.

"Wow, it looked like the two of you were about to do it," Courtney laughed.

Spader and Bobby both blushed furiously. "I've never seen the healing process let alone been in it," Spader admitted.

Bobby relaxed a tad and settled onto the couch beside Spader. Mark and Courtney both grabbed some chairs for themselves. "That was pretty cool to watch though," Mark offered, referring to the storm riding.

"The glow is neat," Bobby offered nervously.

"I was talking about the storm riding," Mark corrected. "Spader? Do you have any other things planned?"

"Planned? Um, wow, the storm riding wasn't even planned. We just heard a good storm was comin' and we jumped at the opportunity." Spader smiled slightly, "That's just life for me. But, yeah, we'll probably do tons of other things why you guys are here."

"I'm looking forward to it," Courtney said happily.

Spader smiled nervously as his stomach growled. "Why don't we head to Grolo's for dinner? I'm sort of feeling lazy cooking wise and I can walk now," Spader offered, standing up.

"Sounds good," Bobby, Courtney, and Mark all chimed, standing up and following Spader out of his apartment.**  
**

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	5. The Talk

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 5: The Talk**

Spader shifted slightly and slowly opened his eyes. He yawned and stretched, but didn't bothering to make a move to get out of bed. Courtney was at Yenza's place, Bobby was on the couch, and Mark was sleeping in two chairs put together.

Spader looked dully over at the clock and smiled, it was still pretty early, so he could laze in bed for a while longer. He couldn't help but to feel a tad rejected though, Bobby had insisted he'd rather sleep on the couch. Spader sighed and let his eyes fall closed again.

He sat up when he heard knocking coming from the door. "Spader? Are you awake?" He heard a voice call out. It wasn't very loud, so if he had been asleep, it wouldn't have woken him.

"Yeah, come in," he offered, covering himself up slightly.

Much to Spader's surprise, Mark walked in, looking a little nervous. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I'm not bothering you, am I?"

"No, of course not," Spader said quickly, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just… can I ask you something?"

Spader gave a quick nod, worried over what might be wrong. "Anything."

"Do, do you like Bobby? I mean, I'm not going to tell him or anything, but it looks like you've been flirting with him and I was wondering if you were serious. Because, I mean, I don't really know you that well, and I didn't know if you were serious or not."

Spader's eyes were wide in surprise. "I…. I um…" he murmured uneasily. He didn't want to talk about something like this. He did like Bobby, a lot, but he felt anxious having anyone know. "I don't really feel comfortable with this," he admitted softly.

Mark gasped and quickly held up his hands, "I'm sorry, Spader. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm really sorry."

Spader gave a quick nod, "It's okay, mate."

"But… Spader? Do you mind dating a guy?"

Spader blushed slightly, "No. I've actually had a boyfriend or two…"

"Oh," Mark said in surprise.

Spader shifted. "Do you have any other questions?" he asked softly.

"Spader, I'm really sorry, I hate bothering you. But, can I ask just one more?"

The Cloran gave a small nod.

"Did… did you um, miss having Bobby sleep with you?" he asked softly.

Spader's eyes widened and he felt a bit of heat raise to his face. "I, Mark, I really don't mind the questions too much, it's just… so embarrassing. And I don't know why, because I've never really been embarrassed before. I… I'll just say this," he explained, sitting up a bit straighter, "I'm extremely loyal when I have my heart set on someone. I do like flirting, but when I officially am dating someone, I can't bring myself to even notice anyone else. And… if I ever got with Pendragon… I'd be really devoted to him and I'd always try my absolute hardest to please him. But, I um…, if he doesn't like me and he'd prefer just being friends, it's still part of my devotion… whatever makes him happiest."

"Spader," Mark breathed softly, his eyes a little wide. The sincerity and tenderness Spader had spoken with was really surprising.

Spader lowered his gaze slightly and shifted, throwing another glance at the clock.

"So, I guess you do like him?" Mark asked.

"He's my friend, and I care about him an absolute ton. And, you said you were only going to ask me one more question."

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Bobby asked sleepily, stepping into the room.

"I was just bothering Spader," Mark explained nervously.

Spader quickly shook his head, "You weren't bothering me."

"Oh. Still, I'm sorry Spader. I really shouldn't ask you those kinds of questions."

Spader threw Bobby an anxious look. "It's okay, I promise."

Mark left and Bobby looked at Spader. "What kind of questions?"

"Nothing," Spader said quickly, sounding the slightest bit upset. "Mate, I'm going to take a shower. Did you sleep okay?"

Bobby smiled. "Actually, you're couch is really comfortable. Only… I don't think Mark was. I'm going to let him step on the couch tonight. How did you sleep?"

Spader flinched slightly and just shook his head. "Okay. There's some food in the fridge. Help yourself," Spader explained quickly, crawling out of bed and leaving his room.

Bobby frowned and watched Spader leave before standing up and leaving the aquaneer's room. He stepped into the living room and looked at Mark with a slight frown. "What were you talking about to Spader?"

"Oh, I was just asking him a few questions. Is he okay?"

"He seems… I dunno… upset."

Mark gasped. "Oh no, I thought I upset him… I really shouldn't have bothered him. I probably made it sound like I don't trust him or I think he's a slut…" Mark groaned aloud.

Bobby frowned. "What were you bothering him about?"

Mark swallowed nervously. "He might not want you to know, so don't tell him you know, okay? I was asking him about his love life. I think the way I was asking him though, I made it sound bad."

Bobby frowned slightly more. "You don't really know him that well, don't ask him personal stuff like that. It's awkward and rude, to anyone," Bobby said firmly, sounding a tab protective of the aquaneer.

Mark flinched but nodded. "Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"You should sleep with him tonight. Sleeping on the chairs isn't much better than the floor."

Bobby blushed and lowered his eyes. "I don't think he liked having to share his bed with me."

Mark quickly shook his head. "I think he felt a little rejected that you refused last night. You were a little harsh and I know he was just trying to be nice. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind. At least accept if he offers."

Bobby gave a small shrug. Truth was he'd really enjoying sleeping in Spader's bed.

"Morning! Are you guys up?" Courtney asked as she opened the door.

"Yeah," Mark and Bobby both replied, quickly adding that Spader was in the shower.

"Well, let's lay breakfast out, I'm starving. Yenza is actually really nice. It was great spending the night at her place."

The three friends quickly laid breakfast out and cast a curious look toward the bathroom. "We probably shouldn't eat until Spader is here," Mark explained.

"Bobby, go let him know," Courtney laughed softly. Bobby's eyes widened in surprise and blush rose to his face. "I though you were comfortable around him," she teased.

Bobby swallowed nervously and stood up, walking toward the bathroom door. He knocked quickly and called out to the aquaneer, "Spader, we have breakfast laid out."

"Go ahead and eat, mates. I never really bother with breakfast," Spader answered through the door.

Bobby looked back and Mark and Courtney and shrugged. The three friends ate reluctantly, during the middle Spader came out of the bathroom. He smiled and waved, greeting Courtney before he slipped into his room to get dressed.

Bobby took another bite of breakfast and stood up, walking toward Spader's room. Mark and Courtney both looked at each other when Bobby entered the aquaneer's room without even knocking.

"Spader?"

"Errr… yeah mate?" Spader laughed nervously. He'd been digging through his closet and, truthfully, Bobby had surprised him.

"You okay?"

Spader grabbed some clothes and tossed them on his bed. "Yeah, of course. What's wrong?" Spader asked, sounding honestly confused but very cheery.

Bobby blinked, debating whether to bother Spader. "You seemed a little upset this morning," he explained. He didn't want to take it any deeper. He didn't want to remind Spader about Mark asking him those questions.

Spader smiled at Bobby. "Oh, sorry," he laughed softly, "I was a little out of it this morning. I wasn't mad or anything, just a bit distant."

Spader was sitting at the edge of his bed casually, his legs stretched out in front of him. He had a towel around his waist still and Bobby quickly remembered that he'd interrupted the aquaneer getting dressed. "Oh, er, I guess I should let you get dressed," Bobby said nervously, turning to leave.

"I'm leaving for work soon, will the three of you be okay while I'm gone?"

Bobby turned around and blushed slightly, swallowing nervously. Spader had stood up and was starting to get dressed, he'd shed the towel around his waist. "Um, y-yeah… when will you, uh, be back?"

"You okay, Pendragon? I'll be back around late noon. If you want me to stay, then I'm sure Yenza—"

"No, that's not it. We'll be fine. It's just… Spader? You're… you're body is absolutely perfect. It's, you're, beautiful…" Bobby explained nervously.

Spader's eyes widened and he was suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed being fully exposed in front of his friend. He lowered his gaze and swallowed nervously. "Th-Thank you, Pendragon."

Bobby nervously turned around and Spader reached for his clothes, dressing quickly. "Are you sure you're not hungry? You should eat if you're going to be at work all day," Bobby said nervously to try and break the awkward silence.

"I'll be fine. I'll eat lunch," Spader replied. His face was hot with blush and he couldn't bring himself to look Bobby in the eyes. "Um, I'll be back later. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come ask me at the docks."

"Y-Yeah, Spader. See ya," Bobby answered. _"Idiot! He doesn't like you back!"_

"_Pendragon thinks _I'm_ beautiful…? This is too good to be true. I have to be dreaming!"_

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	6. The Plan

Ack! Sorry, the month changed, lost track of the days almost! This chapter's pretty short.

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**Chapter 6: The Plan**

Mark swallowed nervously and reached out, gently touching the black clad Cloran on the shoulder. All of the senior aquaneers were rather intimidating up close… tall, strong, sun colored skin, eyes that had seen many deaths. He should've grabbed a junior. All the juniors were still pale, small, fleshy, and innocent.

The senior aquaneer turned around and looked at Mark curiously. "What's up, mate?"

"Are you one of Spader's friends?" Mark asked nervously.

Then the aquaneer smiled and laughed. "Don't tell me! Vo's got himself into another tum-tigger, hasn't he?"

"Well, a little. See, I was wondering if you could help me with something about him."

The aquaneer was rather interested now.

"My friend Bobby has a crush on Spader—" Mark started to explain.

"Spader has one back. Yep, he's definitely love sick. So your friend's the one Spader's got his eyes on?"

Mark was surprised the aquaneer had been able to tell so easily. "Yeah. We have to hook the two up."

"Aaah. Sure, I'll spread the word. No worries. They'll be together in no time."

Mark smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," the aquaneer responded, turning and walking off. Mark grinned and went to go report his success to Courtney. That'd worked out a lot easier than he'd excepted it to.

_Meanwhile…_

Courtney stood in Yenza's office, smiling. "Wow. How'd you notice?"

"I keep track of Spader's journals. His crush is obvious."

"Yeah, like Bobby's stupid crush on Loor," Courtney mumbled. Yenza looked up curiously, but then Mark burst into the room.

"We got all of Grallion's aquaneer force on our side!"

"All of them know?" Yenza asked in surprise.

"It that bad?" both Mark and Courtney asked nervously.

"No, it should be okay. But Spader's going to be upset someone said anything, even though it's obvious he's love sick. How is Pendragon about the relationship though?" Yenza asked.

"He's having a hard time admitting he likes a guy. But he thinks Spader's beautiful and it's obviously he likes Spader."

"Well, trust me, Bobby and Spader are going to end up together now. Those guys out there will see to it. I'll even admit it's going to be funny to watch."

"Yenza?" Spader's voice asked curiously as he stepped into the room. "Can I have a copy of the scheduled habitats that are swinging by? I have to drop it off at the pilot tower. Oh, and what hours do you want me tomorrow?"

"Here," Yenza answered, opening one of her desk drawers and pulling out a binder. She pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Spader. "Go ahead and take tomorrow off. Spend some time with Pendragon."

Spader sent Yenza a curious look. "Why just Pendragon?" He seemed suspicious, but there was a bit of excitement in his voice. A whole day off?! Seriously?! No way was he going to argue.

"Mark and Courtney will spend tomorrow with me. I'm going to show them around more than you did."

Spader tilted his head but decided to brush it off. He left the room and the three acolytes smiled. "So, we'll hook them up tomorrow?" Mark asked.

"You said all of the aquaneers know, Mark. They'll be together by the end of today," Yenza answered. "Even if they have to tie Spader and Bobby together, get them drunk, strand them somewhere together—pretty much anything."

Mark and Courtney smiled. "Well, I feel sorry that you're going to have to be in the same apartment with them tonight, Mark," Courtney laughed.

"Me too," Mark groaned.

Yenza quickly stopped them. "I'd prefer not to think of those two that way. Especially Spader. Let's leave all of that business up to them." Mark and Courtney just laughed nervously.

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	7. Fail and yet… success?

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**Chapter 7: Fail and yet… success?**

"Thank you, Spader," one of the pilot crew replied as Spader handed him the schedule.

"Welcome," Spader answered, turning and leaving. So, his shift was over! Time to go grab Bobby! Why had Mark and Courtney been without him anyway? Wait, maybe Bobby was with them.

Spader shrugged it off and decided to stop by his apartment anyway. Bobby wasn't there. At least he could grab a drink before going to find the three from Second Earth. He headed toward the docks, and smiled at seeing Bobby looking down at the dock from the upper levels.

"Hey, mate," he greeted playfully, sneaking up on the lead Traveler.

Bobby jumped and turned around, smiling. "Hey, Spader. I knew your shift was ending so I came to meet you. Mark and Courtney left me. But, I didn't see you. I though maybe we could get something to eat…"

Spader smiled. "Sure. That sounds great. I saw Mark and Courtney talking to Yenza. Must be some weird Acolyte thing."

"They probably say the same about us and call it some weird Traveler thing," Bobby replied.

Both of them laughed and smiled. Then Spader felt a bit of blush raise to his face. The thought from that morning came to his mind. Bobby had called him beautiful…

"You okay, Spader?" Bobby asked nervously, noticing Spader's slowed pace and distant gaze.

"This morning…" Spader started slowly, staring at his feet, "you said you thought I was beautiful. Pendragon? Did you really mean it?"

Bobby gasped. He'd hoped Spader had forgotten about that. "I'm sorry Spader, I didn't mean to creep you out. I was really out of it this morning. I was thinking a lot about Loor. I'm sorry."

"O-Oh…" Spader choked out in surprised. Loor? Bobby had been thinking about Loor?! He'd been so hopeful. Everything felt crushed now. Bobby hadn't only crushed his hope of Bobby liking him; he also stated he still liked Loor. So… _Bobby didn't like him_. In fact, Bobby _still liked Loor_. Spader swallowed weakly, trying to hide his hurt as he tried to cope with the hidden rejection Bobby didn't know he'd dealt.

Spader quickened his pace, feeling extremely embarrassed. _"Pendragon's my friend, and I know guys don't date guys where he's from. He told me once. Why am I so stupid? Of course he doesn't like me! We're just friends…"_

Bobby had to quicken his pace as well to keep up with the aquaneer. "Spader, you okay? I swear I didn't mean anything by it! I'm really sorry."

Spader's eyes meet Bobby's for a second or two. "It didn't bother me at all, mate." The aquaneer kept walking. They reached Grolo's and Spader pushed open the door, stepping inside. The second he'd stepped in, he was grabbed by the shoulders and restrained. A hand covered his eyes and another covered his mouth. He instinctively bit, struggling to get free. He was already being moved!

"Ouch! Spader, relax! It's us! Hush and stop moving, we'll let you go in a second!"

A door closed.

"Geez you're annoying as hell to kidnap," one of Spader's mates mumbled as he set Spader down. He was holding his hand. That was probably the one Spader had bitten.

Spader looked around in confusion at four of his mates. "What was that about?!"

"Relax, we have to talk with you, mate. A serious talk. You've not been actin' completely yourself."

"Yeah, you're really distant. And we've noticed how excited you've been gettin' at the end of your shift. Like, you're going to see someone you like."

"A mate of yours made it clear who your crush in on—Pendragon. Well guess what? He likes you, too. So, the two of you are going to have to get together! Right now!"

Spader couldn't help the pain he felt. "He doesn't like me back. I asked him. He likes his ex-girlfriend still."

Every one of Spader's mates traded surprised looks. "Explain, right now Vo Spader!"

"I… this morning I was getting dressed and we were talking. He kept staring and was actin' a little uneasy so I asked him what was wrong. He said nothing was wrong and that I was just beautiful… I was going to tell him I liked him on the way here but… I asked him about if he really though I was beautiful and he said no. He said he'd just been out of it and thinking of his ex girlfriend."

"Spader…" one of the aquaneers breathed. "I'm sorry…"

He pulled Spader into his arms. You had to look strong in front of your mates… but this was a time when you were allowed to cry on their shoulder. The others placed a hand on Spader's shoulder or tugged the lean Traveler into their arms.

"I really love him… we've been though so much. It's unfair…" Spader choked out softly. At least he thankfully didn't feel any tears come.

Much to everyone's surprise, someone yanked Spader away. They hadn't even heard the person step into the room. Spader gasped softly as lips were pressed against his own. He'd only caught a blurry glimpse of brown hair and pale skin. "I'm so sorry… Spader, I do think you're beautiful. I thought you didn't like me though and that I'd creeped you out by saying I thought you were. I'm so sorry. I don't have feelings for Loor anymore. And, I love you, too. It's just… I though someone as confident, gorgeous, and amazing as you would never like me."

"Bobby," Spader breathed softly, moaning quietly as Bobby kissed him again.

"I don't care if we're both guys. Second Earth can get over it."

All of the aquaneers traded looks and smiled, nervously leaving the room so the two Travelers could have some privacy, guessing Second Earth was the habitat Pendragon had come from. Mark and Courtney were waiting. "That didn't go according to plan, but it worked out!" one of the Clorans laughed.

Mark and Courtney both traded looks of confusion, but decided to ask details later. Everyone in the tavern was staring. Almost everyone knew Spader, and seeing him grabbed and stuffed into a storage room by a few other aquaneers had been strange. Then to have another boy walk in and be grabbed as well, stuffed in another storage room by two other aquaneers. Then the one boy went running out of the one storage room and into the one with Spader in it. Also the two aquaneer, another boy, and a girl had stepped out of the storage room. Then the other four aquaneers stepped out of the storage room where Spader had been, and everyone was grinning.

Spader and Bobby both stepped out, nervously trying not to look anyone in the eyes. They were holding hands though, and their cheeks were pink with blush.

"And Spader has finally gotten with the boy he loves! We have a lovely new couple! Let's wish them luck!" one of the aquaneers burst out.

Spader and Bobby nervously adverted their eyes as everyone in the tavern stared and started to understand what had been going on. Then they applauded and cheered.

Bobby swallowed nervously and gently pulled Spader close. Spader leaned in nervously and the two kissed, embracing each other. The cheering increased and several people whistled.

"Bobby, I love you," Spader whispered as they broke apart.

"I love you too, Spader," Bobby answered, holding Spader close.

It almost didn't feel real. In fact the same thought was rushing through both boy's heads: _"I'm dreaming!" _But neither could convince themselves that this was a dream. The crowd's sounds, the other's lips, the feel of the other's heart racing against their own. It was just too vivid to be a dream. But both were sure of one thing: if it was a dream, they did _not_ want woken up.

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So… the end? Well, almost, there's another little chapter left.


	8. Adjusting

Here's the last (tiny) chapter. Sorry I didn't update yesterday, doing major testing at school. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 8: Adjusting**

"Hey, are you two covered up? Can I come in?" Courtney asked curiously, peeking into Spader's room. "Aw, they're asleep!" she cried softly. The two Travelers were curled up under Spader's blue quilt. They looked very content cuddled up together. Bobby had his arms wrapped around Spader, and the aquaneer was cuddled into Bobby's chest.

"I'm not sure how with all of the noise you've been making. You were knocking really loud…" Mark whispered. "They're probably tired. We should let them sleep."

"Not until I get a picture!" Courtney snapped, holding up the Cloran camera and taking a picture. She'd borrowed it from Yenza. Both of the acolytes were surprised that Cloral had a type of photography. Then they recalled what an early invention photography was on Earth and decided it made sense the Clorans (or was it the Faarians?) had figured it out as well.

The camera didn't flash and was silent, so neither Spader nor Bobby stirred. But, it had a downside as well. "Did it work?" Courtney asked.

"I don't know; I've never used a camera on Cloral…" Mark answered.

"Hm…?" Spader hummed softly, looking up from Bobby's chest. "Mmm? Mark? Courtney?" he yawned softly, trying to stretch. He'd actually forgotten Bobby was there. His sleep glazed eyes managed to focus on Mark and Courtney though.

"Go back to sleep! We were never here!" Courtney snapped, dashing from the room and closing the door. She'd even dragged Mark off with her.

Bobby's eyes opened when he felt the lack of Spader against him. "Morning, Spader," he yawned. He usually woke up more alert, but… he was in a warm bed with his mate. There was nothing to freak out about. In fact, Bobby even smiled sleepily to himself: mate had a double meaning to him and Spader now.

"Good mor- mmm…" Spader started to say before he was cut off by Bobby's lips. The two weaved themselves closer together and smiled, kissing softly again. They were both still a little sleepy, so there movements were slow.

"I've never slept so good… well… once I managed to fall asleep," Spader chimed, starting to wake up.

Bobby smiled. "Yeah, it's strange sleeping with someone. But, it was nice and warm and once you fell asleep, your breathing helped me sleep."

Spader nodded and yawned. "Your heartbeat helped me. Bobby…? Do you want to take a shower together? But, only if you're comfortable with it. I guess it might be moving a bit fast…" He felt blush cover his cheeks. Taking a shower together wasn't too bad. They'd done it before, and while the circumstances were different at that time (being sterilized was much different than taking a morning shower with your beloved), it was still somewhat in the same general area. Okay, not really, but whatever.

"I'd love to, Vo," Bobby answered. "It's not like we've never seen each other. Come on."

Spader's blush deepened and he nodded, crawling out of bed and following Bobby out of his room. He wasn't showing it, but he was excited. Bobby on the other hand was flat out nervous, even though he wasn't showing it either.

They crept out of Spader's room and they both threw curious looks at Mark and Courtney, who were trying to figure out the Cloran camera. "Hey, what are you two doing?" Courtney teased, noticing them heading toward the bathroom together. Bobby swallowed, but hid his embarrassment.

"None of your business," Bobby answered with a fake but convincing smile as he closed the door to the bathroom behind himself and Spader.

Mark and Courtney traded looks and tried to laugh it off. It didn't go over too well, so Courtney tried to break the quiet a bit, "So, did they keep you up, Mark?"

Mark shook his head. "I heard them talking, but I don't think they did anything. Courtney, they just got together yesterday. I think they're going to wait a bit before having sex yet."

Courtney shrugged and decided she now wanted off that subject. "Hey, wasn't this supposed to be a vacation for us?" she offered as the distraction.

Mark shrugged, "I've had fun. It was a vacation for Bobby as well."

"Well, I guess I might have had some fun, too. But, still, isn't it a little strange that Spader and Bobby are dating?"

Mark shook his head weakly. "I'll be honest and say I still can't think of Bobby that way. I can't see him with any guys. I even look at Spader and him as friends, not… lovers." They'd been best friends forever. They'd hung out all the time as kids and as young teens. Bobby would never throw any looks towards other guys. In fact, even with Spader, why had Bobby been attracted to the Cloran?

Courtney couldn't help agreeing slightly, "I know. That's the way I think when I think of Bobby in my memories. The Bobby I kissed would never date a boy." Bobby was the boy who'd had a crush on her since they were tiny.

"But he's changed a lot… and I guess his and Spader's friendship went further then we thought. And he's happy," Mark offered. Courtney shrugged as her agreement. "I still can't think of them… doing _that _sort of thing though."

Courtney couldn't help blushing slightly. She _was_ attracted to both Spader and Bobby. The thought of them together wasn't a bad one. It occurred to her that the two were in the shower together, and she felt even more heat rise to her face. Now she _really_ wanted off the subject. But, that was this Bobby. Not the Bobby she had kissed and fallen in love with. That Bobby was gone. Then again… so was the Courtney that had kissed him.

"That's their decision. So is their relationship. We're the reason they're together, so if we don't like it, oh well. We'll get over it. Let's just let them be," Courtney offered.

Mark smiled and nodded. "Oh course."

Both grinned when Spader and Bobby slipped out of the bathroom. Spader had a light blue towel wrapped about his waist and Bobby had a mint green one. Their hair was wet, messy from being hastily towel dried. They both had blush on their cheeks and they looked like they were trying to be unnoticed. "Hobey-ho," Spader said nervously when he become aware that Mark and Courtney were looking at Bobby and him.

Bobby smiled at his two friends, opened Spader's bedroom door, and tugged the aquaneer inside. Mark and Courtney traded curious looks as they heard Bobby's and Spader's playful laughter coming from behind the door.

"Yeah, they're happy," Mark said softly, a smile on his face.

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Now… will there be a chapter nine? Maybe. I'm still trying to write it out. It'd just be something fluffy though. If I do write one, it won't be around for a least a week or two (I'm lazy). But, anyway, that's it for the story! Hope you liked Bobby's and Spader's hopeless beating around the bush. Um… -runs away-


End file.
